Outdoorsmen Adventures.com

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is using a new online tool designed to increase hunter access to land where landowners seek more antlerless deer hunters.

The Antlerless Deer Hunter Program allows hunters to register online and landowners to scan the database for hunters in their area, then contact them by telephone or e-mail.

This program is available at OutdoorNebraska.org. Click on Hunting, Programs and then Antlerless Deer Hunter Program to access it, or go directly to http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/hunting/programs.asp.

“We hear from many hunters who have difficulty finding land to hunt,” said Kit Hams, big game program manager with Game and Parks. “We also hear from landowners who say hunters only want to shoot bucks or they do not feel comfortable telling hunters… Continue reading

You know the saying, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”

Well, let me tell you that it can be done, because this, mature dog, I don’t like the word Old, recently learned a new trick that will not only catch walleyes, it will catch “Big” walleyes.

Last week, our film crew made a trip down to Lake McConaughy in southwestern Nebraska to film the 2010 Cabela’s Regional Walleye Tournament.

First of all, let me tell you a little about McConaughy, it’s back and no longer the largest beach in Nebraska as the water levels were so low that the lake looked more like a huge beach with a small lake in the middle than Big Mac.

According to the Central Public Power and Irrigation District, Big Mac is up 30’ since last December with the lake that is now over 20 miles long.

When we headed for the lake, we knew it held large walleyes as the state record walleye; a 16 pound 2 ounce lunker came from the lake.

The two person teams in this tournament had to qualify by finishing in the top twenty-five in their respective state.

Anglers from the Kansas Walleye Association, Colorado Walleye Association, Nebraska Walleye Trail and the Wyoming Walleye Stampede were represented in the tournament that paid $10,000.00 first place.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Three state records for eastern Nebraska fishermen were certified this summer, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Ron Anderson of Omaha set the archery record for silver carp. The fish weighed 27 pounds, 11 ounces and was 39 inches long. It was caught July 20 in the Missouri River in Douglas County.

team Outdoorsmen Adventures Member Marlyn Wiebelhaus of Wynot set the archery record for grass carp. The fish weighed 63 pounds, 7.5 ounces and was 53¼ inches long. It was caught July 6 at Buckskin Hills Lake in Dixon County.

Randy Oppliger of Columbus set the surface spearfishing record for longnose gar. The fish weighed 20 pounds, 15.2 ounces and was 58 inches long. It was caught June 12… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

TEKAMAH, NEB. — It probably wasn’t the kind of day you would pick for catfishing, but nobody told the cats.

Pat Carter, Elk Point, S.D., and I arrived at Summit Lake in the middle of a morning rainstorm, but when the downpour turned to sprinkles, we launched my boat and headed out.

Pat had fished the lake a couple times before and was impressed with the channel catfish to be found there. When he suggested we give it a try, I was quick to agree.

For the past seven years, Pat and I have gotten together prior to Sioux City’s one and only catfish tournament and spend a day or an evening chasing “ole whiskers.”

It’s a tradition now and what began as a U.S. CATS sponsored tournament is now a local tournament with Pat as the director. Strong sponsor support from local businesses, headed by First Class Credit Union, and individuals is quickly making this event one of the premier catfish tournaments in the country.

Last year the First Class Cat Attack attracted 51 teams with entries from a seven-state area. This year Pat hopes to top 60 boats and is well on his way. Current entries exceed last year’s.

This year, the boats will blast off from the South Sioux City boat ramp with waters of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers eligible.

Last year’s event was won by Dean and Bruce Strobman of Sioux City with a single catch — a 56.60-pound blue catfish. Second was taken by Keith Copenhaver, Sioux City, and Chris Sharp, Merrill, Iowa with 10 fish weighing 40.90 pounds.

In all, anglers weighed in 155 fish totaling 500.15 pounds, the highest weight in the history of the tournament.

This year’s event will be July 24 with anglers fishing from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event has a $5,000 guaranteed payout. Cash awards will be given for first through 6th place with additional cash placements for over 30 teams. Seventh to 15th place teams will win door prizes. Additional door prizes will be offered including a trolling motor, depth finder and rods and reels.

Entry automatically qualifies teams for the 2010 Night Tournament from 7p.m. to 8 a.m. Sept. 4.

The public is welcome to the weigh-in at the ramp. A free cookout and drinks will be available beginning at 3 p.m.

Entry fee for the event is $100 with an optional $10 for the big fish Pot. Entries are being accepted at the Bacon Creek Country Store at 2520 Gordon Dr. Entries will also be accepted, cash only, the morning of the tournament. A mandatory rules meeting will begin at 6:30 a.m.

SIDNEY, Nebraska – The University of Nebraska bass fishing club and Cabela’s teamed up this season for what team captain Kyle Branecki called the best sponsorship contract in all of college fishing.

Cabela’s initiated the deal after hearing about the Husker Bass Anglers, which had only minor sponsorships and an unreliable boat-use agreement, last year. Terms of the Cabela’s sponsorship included use of a boat provided by the Ranger dealership based out of the company’s La Vista, Neb., retail store, where the boat was on display between tournaments.

Cabela’s also designed the University of Nebraska boat wrap and supplied the trolling motor, electronics, lures and team uniforms, while Evinrude provided the engine and Geico took care of the boat insurance.

“It only seemed right that the University… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal.

YANKTON, S.D. — Scott Madison, who heads up River City Guide Service at Lewis and Clark Lake, was gassing up his big Lund when I pulled into Captain Norm’s just below the Gavin’s Point Dam at 6 a.m. last week.

Lewis and Clark Lake, the past few years has quietly assumed the position of one of the Missouri River’s best walleye fishing reservoirs.

The reservoir is the only one on the system that has a 15-inch minimum with no slot limit.

Madison says walleyes ranging from 20 to 24 inches are very common and in the fall of 2009 many fish in the eight to 12 pound range were caught and released.

But fishing is no sure thing, even on the best of lakes. This day we caught many, many fish but the bigger ones eluded us. However, the small fish are a good indicator of things to come.

The weather had been very unstable the three days prior to our arrival and that, I’m sure, contributed to our lack of success on larger fish.

We trolled six rods all armed with crankbaits and worked over a dozen spots, which had provided good fishing in the past. We marked very few baitfish or walleyes on the electronics.… Continue reading

Turkey hunting has been in my blood since the early 70’s when I first hit the woods in pursuit of the long beards.

Over the years, I’ve managed to take over eighty birds bagging every species in the U.S.  except for the Osceola of Florida.

As spring approaches, my excitement builds and as the season begins to draw down, I feel as if something will soon be missing from my life.

This year it was different, as I had tagged all three of my Nebraska birds early in the season, two in northeast Nebraska and one in the southeastern part of the state.

I’d also called had the opportunity to call in a couple of birds for Team member Larry Myhre while we hunted together.

Since I’d tagged all of my birds and there was plenty of time left. I decided to give my cameraman Kyle Nickolite, Yankton, the opportunity to shoot his first bird.

Kyle had been on several turkey hunts with me, but he was always on the other end, running the camera.

His first filming in he field had been a spring turkey hunt where a Tom came in behind him without making a sound, startling both he and I.

This is one of those things that will either scare the heck out of you or hook you on turkey hunting for life.

As most turkey hunters do, on our first trip, we headed out long before the sun rose and set up where we thought the birds would be traveling from the roost.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

I’ve always maintained that when fish, any fish, are in shallow water, there is no more effective way of taking them than with the fly rod.

That was brought home to me once again when Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., and I were guests at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge just south of Burchard, Neb., recently.

The lodge overlooks a 25-acre lake and from the first time I laid eyes on it I couldn’t wait to baptize a fly upon its waters.

I didn’t have long to wait. Gary and I filled our turkey tags in less than two hours and we were on the shoreline by 3 o’clock, rods in hand.

Gary doesn’t fly fish so he was hurling a number 3 Mepps spinner and soon connected with a three pound bass, the first of many.… Continue reading

It was early morning as we relaxed on the deck at Big Blue Ranch & Lodge near Burchard, NE.

We ‘d just come outside to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee when the gobbling of a turkey disturbed the morning silence.

Nothing unusual, since we’d been at the lodge for a couple of days and whenever we’d been on the deck we not only heard turkeys, but also coyotes, prairie chickens and Canada geese announcing their presence.

It was both Larry and my second hunt of the spring turkey season; Larry had tagged one bird in Northeast Iowa while I had put down two birds in Northeastern Nebraska.

We were in S.E. Nebraska as we’d been invited down to film and hunt the 2,000 acres owned by Scott and Billie Kay Bodie.

I’d met them last fall while hunting in the Nebraska Governor’s Pheasant Hunt, which was headquartered out of Beatrice, NE.

Southeastern Nebraska is a beautiful place as not only is there an abundance of game in the area; there are numerous ponds and small lakes dotting the countryside.

The property we were hunting had several lakes, one, located just below the lodge was 25 acres and was stocked with bass, crappie, bluegill and pike.

When we arrived shortly after lunch, we met with Scott who directed us into the lodge and gave us a brief description of the land we’d be hunting and the birds that called the area home met us.… Continue reading

GRAND ISLAND, Neb, April 29, 2010 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) is using innovative ways to help Nebraska landowners while providing habitat for waterfowl in Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin. A new $1 million grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) will allow DU to use some of these techniques as well as enhance public lands to increase recreation and tourism opportunities in the area.

“We know our work to provide habitat in Nebraska will be more successful if we act in ways that benefit landowners,” said Steve Donovan, manager of conservation programs for Nebraska.

The NAWCA grant will restore and protect more than 4,100 acres of habitat in the Rainwater Basin through 14 separate projects. One of the projects funded through the grant will allow DU to trade good cropland for marginal cropland in order to restore a 300-acre wetland that will become part of the Nelson Waterfowl Production Area.

“This land trade will keep the best cropland in production, while allowing the marginal cropland to be restored to wetland, providing habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife,” Donovan said. “It’s a win-win for the landowner and waterfowl.”

Donovan says much of the land restored through this grant will be managed through grazing. “Beef is an important segment of the Nebraska economy,” he said. “And controlled grazing can keep the grass and wetlands in good shape for cows and wildlife.”… Continue reading